Wonderful
by JordieBElizabeth
Summary: After losing Amy and Rory, the Doctor wanders into a small English town alone and with heavy hearts. His feet take him aimlessly through the streets until he encounters "The Uncharted," where he will meet one with the ability to re-spark his passion for the stars. One-Shot. No pairings. First fic, critique appreciated!


_Wonderful_

The Doctor walked alone on the chill autumn night, letting the memories of his life and the faith in his feet guide him. Wind whipped past from behind as though goading him on. So harsh it was that all sound was prevented from reaching his ears. But it's unlikely that nearby noise would have any effect on his behavior. The man of a thousand years was on no one's schedule but his own, and it was a peaceful–albeit lonely–change.

Things had been...quiet since the Ponds...since they left. Nothing was filling the familiar gap in his heart, not even the purrs of his Sexy, his TARDIS. So he found himself putting distance between his space-nomad life by aimlessly traversing the streets of a small British town that he didn't bother to remember the name of. For once, he didn't want to. It would house his mourning body for one night, two at the most, and then he would leave it behind.

There were bright lights coming from some of the buildings. Finally raising his eyes to take in his surroundings, the Doctor found himself on one of the main streets of the town. It was busy for a Thursday night, but not crowded, and an electric air followed the people's footsteps. His gaze read the sign above the first establishment that had caught his eye. It was apparently a bar, christened "The Uncharted." He felt a twinge of amusement in his chest. Humans weren't always terribly original; he could easily list a dozen more pubs with a nautical theme. But he was hopeful, after that momentary humor at the name, and he quickly stepped inside.

And gasped.

"The Uncharted" had nothing to do with the ocean. The wood paneling of the bar, walls, and booths was pitch black, with candles like supernovas at each table. The equally dark carpet gave way to a glittering, tiled dance floor. And the ceiling–black, like the rest of it–was dotted with pinpricks of white light. The Doctor soon recognized the lights were meant to be stars, and they were arranged as though the roof of the bar had been removed and the viewer was gazing at the actual constellations in the night sky.

It took his breath away; the little room was so full of the universe. He couldn't help but laugh at himself a little for his quick judgement. Just when humans are getting blamed for being uninteresting and predictable, they pull out something extraordinary.

Still in a mild state of awe, the Doctor wandered over to the bar and sat on a stool. Taking in each detail of the room (a television showing footage of the moon in orbit, how marvelous!), it was a moment until he noticed the barista standing across the counter from him.

"First time, then?" she asked cheerily.

He spun around and grinned at her. "Yes, I was drawn in by the name and...well, it wasn't what I expected."

The bartender–Lana, her name tag read–smiled and nodded. "We get that a lot. Is there anything I can get you? A drink?"

"Ah, right, um," the Doctor fumbled for minute. It had been a while since he'd tried Earth's alcohol, and the last time wasn't a pleasant experience. "Have you got a menu I could look at?"

"Of course," she responded, handing him a list of beverages. He browsed, delighted by some of their names (the Mars-tini, how adorable!) but still at a complete loss.

"Um, well, what do you like the best?" he asked, trying not to make a fool of himself.

"My favorite is the Shot in the Dark. It's a more mild taste, not too bitter. I'm not a very adventurous drinker, so it's a safe bet," Lana explained.

"Neither am I. I trust your judgement," the Doctor replied, handing back the menu, only a little relieved he didn't have to decide.

As Lana went to fix his order, the Doctor let himself study the bar again. He found it more charming the longer he stayed. A rack of magazines and books by the door about the universe, what they must have done with the toilets, the backdrop of the bar was a nebula, oh, Amy and Rory would lov–

He froze. No. Amy and Rory weren't going to be seeing him anytime soon. He lost them, like he loses everyone. The gap in his heart, temporarily forgotten about, made itself known once again with a sharp pang. There were tears in his eyes, barely willed from flooding his vision and down his face. He was alone. Again. And he should be used to it by now. But he wasn't. He wouldn't ever be.

A soft touch on his arm, and his head jerked up. He didn't remember when he had started crying into his hands, and now, Lana stood before him. His drink sat neglected by her elbow, but she seemed not to care. Her gaze spoke only of a deep compassion she harbored in her heart.

"What's upsetting you?" she asked gently.

The Doctor wiped his eyes and gave out a flat laugh. "Here I sit, the Oncoming Storm, sobbing like a child. I am sorry, I don't mean to make a scene."

"Forget about it!" Lana declared. "Bad things happen. It's okay to be sad. It's okay to cry. Sometimes that's the only thing we can do until we find out how to overcome it."

Her encouragement warmed him, and the Time Lord found himself spilling his troubles to her before he could think to keep silent.

"Two dear friends of mine just recently...passed away. They were the closest people I knew, but now they're gone. And they aren't the first, and they won't be the last. Everyone I love, I've lost."

Lana's face fell to hear his shattered soul in his voice, a voice that hinted at something ancient and something timeless. Slowly, she reached over the counter and drew the stranger in for a hug. What could she say? She had never lost everyone. What was it like to feel completely alone? It was hard for her to understand, not for lack of caring or trying, but because the idea that someone was without a friend seemed foreign to her. For a girl blessed with a big heart, she couldn't fathom that no one loved him.

"I can't pretend that I understand completely what you're going through, because I haven't experienced it myself," Lana began, now patting the man's back as she comforted him. "But don't let the past or the future hold you back. Love hurts when it's taken away, but think about the journey before the end. Wasn't it wonderful?"

The Doctor smiled. "Yes. Yes, they were wonderful."

Lana kept going, "There are billions of people on this planet. Choose anyone, and pretty soon, you'll find a person to begin anew who will think you're just as wonderful as your friends were to you."

The Doctor pulled away, sighing and gaining his composure.

"Well then, Miss Lana," he asked, "where do you suggest I begin?"

Lana smiled timidly and looked down into his untouched drink.

"You seem pretty wonderful to me."

The Doctor was silent as he stared at this girl—this young human living in a small town with a simple name and her whole life ahead of her—who had managed to see something in him that made her think he was wonderful. A complete stranger! A wonderful stranger! And eventually, he couldn't keep in his smile, nor his happy laugh, nor the joy that filled him and made the gap in his hearts a little smaller.

"My dear girl!" he exclaimed brightly. "My sweet human girl! Dear Lana!"

He grasped her hands in his own and looked her in the eye.

"Thank you," the Doctor whispered.

Without warning, he let go and sprung up from his seat, leaving his drink behind for good.

"Where are you going?" Lana called, slightly whiplashed from his sudden movements.

The Doctor spun around as he reached the door.

"You're absolutely right," he explained. "It's okay to cry, to mourn. But I've had my time of grief, and I need to move on. I'm ready to look back on my memories of the ones I've lost with fondness."

He turned, opened the door, and walked out, only to stick his head back in.

"And Lana?" he called.

"Yeah?" she asked, still a bit awed by this man.

The Doctor gave her a brilliant grin, and Lana felt as though she were the most important person in the galaxy, if only for the moment. "Wherever you go," he said, "Whatever you choose to be in life, do me a favor: do what you did tonight."

"And that was?" she questioned.

"Be amazing."

And with a last wink and flash of smile, the Doctor was gone from the bar, though not forever, he decided. Lana would be getting a visit from him in due time.

He skipped merrily down the streets, retracing his steps back to the TARDIS with jubilance. The only occasion he stopped for was to read and memorize the name of the town, the one that-less than an hour ago-he had wanted to dismiss so badly. Reaching his little blue box, he swung the doors open and closed them with a firm snap.

Inside, the TARDIS seemed to react to his change in attitude, as the rather large interior was lit up with a warm glow. The Doctor pranced around the control panel, setting coordinates for a new destination, and all the while, a mantra was going through his head.

'Amy. Rory. Rose. Mickey. Martha. Donna. Alfie. Craig...' The list continued.

It was each name he had ever known to share a part of their lives with him. Instead of sadness, however, he thought of their laughter, their awe, their steadfastness. And he laughed right along with the memories as he and the TARDIS launched into the mysterious, exciting, wonderful future.

* * *

**First fan fiction I've ever written, so any comments-praise or improvements-will be appreciated! I'll respond to any messages or reviews as quickly as possible. Thanks!**


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